The lead in Keely’s stomach tightened as if it had magnetically attracted more heavy metal. Jade and Raiden had attempted the same tactics on her when they approached her on the beach. It hadn’t won her support then and she doubted such a conversation would convince Opal to hear them out now.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
The anger evident in Opal’s words brought back the scene at the beach abutment door with razor sharpness. Even now, understanding more of what made her mother the way she was, didn’t lessen the deep cuts of the ugly memories of her own past.
“We need you. If you don’t listen to us we can’t guarantee your safety? Jade’s sweet voice tried to diminish the impact of her earlier words.
Derision shot forth in laser strong bolts from Opal’s eyes. “My safety. You think to protect me? If you’ve done your homework, and you obviously have, you know I’m pretty good at taking care of myself.”
Keely spoke, trying to dampen Opal’s emotions to something less incendiary. “We know. You’d be surprised how much we know.”
“I’m sorry…was that whole friends bit a bunch of bullshit, or do you four actually have a point to make.”
Jade pointed toward the media screen. Scenes of a wild fire in Hungary slashed across the viewer. “One man is behind all that. And he knows about you, about us”
“Well, it’s great that you guys are little EPA groupies, but I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling.”
Around her shoulders, Keely felt the muscles of Zion’s arms flex. While he’d had infinite patience with her, Keely wasn’t sure how far it extended. “It’s not that simple.”
Opal pushed the chair away from the table. “Really? It’s pretty cut and dried for me.”
With a quick flick of his arm, Raiden reached out to grab Opal. He backed off at the look of rage on her face. At the bar, a man stood up. The one who’d looked out of place earlier.
The man leaned back against the bar, attempting to look mollified. Her senses went on alert as Zion stiffened in the chair next to her. “I don’t like him. He’s too...” she fumbled for the right word, “slick. He reminds me of Doubilet, only better looking.”
“Power is radiating off him like a volcano. They’re tied together somehow.”
Keely sighed, letting the information coagulate in her rapidly tiring mind. “Was I this hard to get through to?”
Jade flashed Keely a companionable smile. “Depends. I think she actually believes us.”
Keely momentarily frowned. Until she’d crossed paths with Amidurah personally, she’d wanted nothing to do with Jade, Raiden, Thane Denton or the EPA.
Zion placed a kiss on her temple and whispered in her ear. “We’re trying to do better with Opal.”
They really should have talked more about tactics. Had a couple different scenarios in case the fire starter proved to be difficult, which she showed signs of being. The current modus operandi was failing miserably.
Opal sank her hands onto her hips in a defiant stance. “Say I did believe you. What do you think I have to do with any of this?”
“You’re the element of fire.” Thank Domnu for Jade’s patient explanation. “If we know it, he knows it.”
Opal’s voice filled with challenge. “Who?”
Zion squeezed her hand as Keely stared into Opal’s rebellious gaze. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Amidurah.”
Watchtowers : Water Page 21